Ugandan opposition leader Kizza Besigye has left the East African country to attend an International Commission of Jurists among other roundups from Africa
Secretary Kerry Meeting With Rwandan Foreign Minister Mushikiwabo in a file photo
Source: Wikimedia
THE CONTINENT
Uganda’s Besigye ‘Finally’ travels to South Africa
Ugandan opposition leader Kizza Besigye has left the East African country to attend an International Commission of Jurists (ICJ) Conference in South Africa. Besigye tweeted on November 8 that he was about to board a Kenya connecting flight where he would take another one to Johannesburg, South Africa. Besigye was expected to address the ICJ conference slated for November 10. Besigye was earlier forced to call off his trip after police allegedly blocked him at his home in Kasangati. The long-time opposition leader said that it was “incomprehensible” for authorities to act with such impunity.
Police, however, denied the claims, saying that opposition party leaders would “say anything in the media in order to remain relevant”. Besigye came second in presidential elections that were held in February. He, however, rejected the official results as fraudulent and called for an international audit of the results, one of the reasons cited for charging him with treason.
Source: News24WIRE
Somali girl who sought refuge in Kenya makes history with US election win
Publications from all over the world have carried what would be termed as terrifying headlines over the election of billionaire Donald Trump as the 45th President of the United States. It is what many never expected would happen going with the global rating of his competitor Hillary Clinton, who prides herself with 30 years in politics. The outcome was not received warmly by all Americans with some taking to the street where they chanted anti-Trump’s slogans.
There was however another unexpected piece of news that made it into the history books when Ilhan Omar won a Minneota House seat, becoming the first Somali-American legislator. The 34-year-old American won House District 60B which comprises parts of the Cedar-Riverside neighborhood, southeast Minneapolis and the University of Minnesota. She was voted in by 80 percent of the electorate. “I think I bring the voice of young people. We must work to bring the power within our community together while advancing the agenda focused in justice and the common good,” she said. “We will never stop fighting for a democracy that works for of us.”
Source: CAPITALFM
Gay rights groups strike back
SA’s support for Africa’s opposition at UN to gay rights watchdog brings local and international condemnation. Members of gay rights organisations around the country sent an open letter to the Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO) on November 9 asking officials to reject a resolution that, if supported, would be a weakening pro-gay rights stance by South Africa in the United Nations.
The resolution, accompanied by a statement of support from the African Group of which South Africa is a member, calls for the suspension of the appointment of an Independent Expert on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity (SOGI) as proposed by the UN Human Rights Council. The statement from the African Group says that sexual orientation and gender identity ‘are not and should not be linked to existing international human rights instruments’.
The open letter, written by groups including the Triangle Project, Gender Dynamix, and Sonke Gender Justice, calls on the South African government, specifically DIRCO, to condemn and dissociate itself from the position of the African Group and to vote against the proposed resolution. The letter says if this is not done, South Africa will be acting in opposition to previous gay rights legislation enacted over the past few years and would “indicate that South Africa is steadily moving away from progressive humans rights norms”. The writers note that “the international community have voiced strong condemnation of South Africa’s position”.
Sanja Bornman, chairperson of the Hate Crimes Working Group and a member of Lawyers for Human Rights, said the role of an Independent Expert on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity is a vital one. “The appointment of the Independent Expert is a tremendous step in recognising the addressing violence and discrimination against LGBT people, worldwide,” she said in an email. DIRCO could not be reached for comment.
Source: Ground Up
CENTRAL AFRICA
More French implicated in Rwandan genocide to be named
A new list of senior French politicians that were complicit in the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi will soon be released, Foreign Affairs minister Louise Mushikiwabo has said. The development comes barely a month after the National Commission for the fight against Genocide (CNLG) released a list of 22 senior French army officers that knowingly aided the planning and execution of the Genocide in which more than a million people were killed.
Speaking to journalists in Kigali on November 10, Mushikiwabo, who also doubles as the Government spokesperson, said it was time to release information that clearly indicated the role of some of the politicians, intelligence and military individual’s role, adding that Rwanda was fed up with what she called ‘French judicial bullying’. “We, as a country, have reached a point where we have to say that the activities, the unrepentant, the belligerent attitude and actions of France are no longer acceptable. “In the very near future, and for the next many years, we as a country believe that we need to put out in the open, all important information, clearly showing the implication of various French officials the military, politicians, intelligence and all individuals that played a role in the Genocide,” she said.
Mushikiwabo told journalists that despite the Government’s commitment toward mending the strained relationship, the French government seemed to be uninterested. “We knew from the word go that it was not going to be easy to conduct normal good bilateral activities with France. We decided that we should figure out to mend the relationship, eventually and progressively to reach a collaboration that is normal. “We have reached a point where, 22 years after the genocide, we realise that France is not interested in a good relationship with Rwanda,” she said.
Mushikiwabo added that the ties between the two countries continued to sour because of the actions and involvement of France as a state as well as specific individuals in the French establishment, both military and political. “Officially, France says one thing but another level of activity in different institutions does the opposite. There have been a number of negative activities towards Rwanda in different circles, in the multi-lateral world, sometime in our neighborhood sometimes through different conflicts and of course what they call a judicial process yet it is politics being played through a court system,” she said. “We, Rwanda as a country, have reached a point where we have to say that the activities and unrepentantly belligerent attitude of France are no longer acceptable.”
Last month, CNLG named 22 senior French military officers who were operating in Rwanda at the time of the genocide and reportedly played a significant role in the killings that saw over a million people lose their lives. France announced recently that it was considering plans to re-open investigations into the shooting down of the plane that was carrying former President Juvenile Habyarimana. This has been perceived as one of the multiple attempts by France to undermine Rwanda and divert responsibility for their role in the Genocide.
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